Psychedelic
by Russian Blue Witch
Summary: A tale of a tent, tricks and transformation. See my profile for full description.
1. Attack of the psycho Sian

**Psychedelic**

**A Three Part Adventure by RBW**

**Part one: Attack of the psycho Sian**

After their encounter with a Tikikiki, Ash, Misty, and Brock headed to a nearby town for some rest. It was a remarkably small town, with hardly any houses; what few houses there were seemed to hold lodging for many different families, or some people lived in the stores they ran. The streets seemed deserted. However, in this tiny, desolate town, two shiny buildings stood side by side. They were owned by the same person, and an unusual person it was. She was sixteen, yet she had very soft, gray hair (She said she preferred to think of it as 'silver') that hung just below shoulder level, and her dress seemed to be made of leaves. It looked a little like a Bellossom's body. But it was larger than any Bellossom would ever be.

"Hello, children. May I help you?" She asked. Her voice was the syrupy sort of voice you find in people who tend to baby anyone under eighteen, which didn't make any sense because she was just sixteen herself.

"Is this the inn?" Ash asked, pointing to the first shiny building.

"Well, it isn't the only inn, if that's what you mean, but it's the only inn worth staying in. Staying inn, get it?" She chuckled musically.

Ash decided he didn't like this person.

"What's the place next door?" Misty asked next.

"Just a little place where I sell trinkets, and stuff. Or you could have a look 'round the back, that's where-" The woman stopped and made a lip-zipping motion.

Intrigued, the gang walked around the back of the inn, where they found a midnight-blue tent of soft velvet. Golden, shiny lettering spelled out, "Have your heart's desire come true."

Ash tingled with curiosity. So did Brock.

But Misty wasn't impressed. "Yeah, right," She said. "Anybody could write that on a mystical-looking tent, but that doesn't mean it's true,"

"Yeah," Ash said, "But what if it is?"

"Oh, come on!" Misty continued. "What if your heart's desire is to be famous? How would they make that come true without taking several years?" Glaring at the boys, who weren't listening, she added, "Or what if your dream is to, say, _be the best Pokémon trainer in the world?_ Or what if you want _girls to love you at first sight? _How would someone do those things? Huh?"

Ash sighed. "I guess you're right,"

"Well?" Brock said. "What's there to lose by trying?"

"Fine, waste your day if you want," Misty said. "I'm going to look at that trinket store,"

"Okay, I'll meet you later!" Brock said, walking casually into the tent.

Misty sighed. "Well, come on, Ash. No point standing there,"

Ash gave one last look at the tent and slowly moved to join Misty.

As soon as Brock entered the tent, all casualness vanished. It just wasn't the kind of place you could be casual in. The midnight velvet walls seemed non-existent, almost as though he had fallen into a black hole. Toward the back, sitting on a navy-blue pedestal that blended into the wall too well, was a giant cat. It reminded Brock of a Persian, although it wasn't much like a Persian except in size and shape. Its face was slightly triangular, with the majority of it brown instead of cream like its body. Its legs and tail tapered slightly toward the end, and the tail and the bottom half of the legs were brown. If Brock had lived on earth, he might have said it looked like a giant Siamese. Another difference between the two cat Pokémon was that the Sian was bigger by an order of magnitude. On its forehead was a perfectly round moonstone, each silver thread glowing as it wound its way through the deep blue gem.

It spoke.

"What is your desire?" It didn't really speak but "thought out loud".

Before Brock could answer it replied, "I see. Love is one of the most powerful emotions on earth. And you expect me to control it? Good. Because I can. You desire that anyone- more specifically, ideal persons of the opposite sex- who looks in you- excuse me, _at _you would, in a way, not suddenly avert their eyes. You wish them to look in- look- for a while, at the least,"

Brock slowly nodded.

"And you wish that they will enjoy what they see,"

"Yes," Brock said a little too enthusiastically.

"And that they will feel the need to smile, make adjustments, try to please what they see,"

"Yes! Yes! Yes!" Brock said, feeling excited. He wasn't acting like himself at all.

"Even if who they're trying to please is really themselves?"

Brock stopped jumping and the smile faded. "What-"

But the large cat didn't let him get any further. She blasted him with cool light from her moonstone, increasing the power until Brock was invisible. Then it winked out all at once.

Where Brock had been standing was a medium, simply framed mirror.

_Huh? What? What happened? Where am I? Why can't I move? What was the Sian talking about?_

Laurel entered the room through a nearly invisible door covered by a blue curtain.

_Why is she looking at me?_

"Only one this time? I sent three of them to you."

"Only one showed up. Take him away before the other two come in here."

_Take me away?_

"Nice mirror. Do you think five dollars is too much?"

"Sounds fair to me."

_What nice mirror? Five dollars?_

"This is one weird store," Misty said. It really was a trinket shop; there was only one of each item, and nothing seemed to be related to each other. A ship in a bottle was next to Mr. Alf's shaving cream which was next to a way-out-of-season Christmas ornament which was next to two stuffed partridges mounted on some petrified tree bark which was next to a size 8 shirt which was next to a Pokedex that survived a civil war which was next to a red velvet box that held a-

"So cute!" Misty shouted, picking up the little red box. It was a necklace with a pendant of an aqua velvet-y bear with a tiny diamond necklace. The tomboy took the silver chain and placed it around her neck- just to see how it would look.

The woman who ran the store came out of a back room. "Here, sweetie, see how you look!" She said, holding up a medium, simply framed mirror. "I just got this mirror in stock!"

_The irony! Misty! Help!_

"Oh, I love this necklace!" Misty said, not caring that it didn't go with her outfit or personality. "How much?"

_What! Misty, loving a necklace?_

"Nine dollars. Very cheap," Laurel put the mirror on a shelf between the partridges and the Pokedex.

_Help!_

"Wow, what a bargain!" Misty said, getting out her wallet.

"Of course I'm cheap. She got me for free!" The voice seemed to be coming from the little bear-shaped charm.

Misty almost dropped her change. She looked down at her necklace in amazement.

The gray-haired woman looked up from her cash register. "What?"

The bear instantly froze up. Misty took the hint.

"Nothing, it's just that- this is such a beautiful necklace!"

"I know, honey, I know,"

Standing outside the door, Misty looked down at the charm again. "What do you mean she got you for free? And how come you can talk?"

Ash walked out the door. "Who are you talking to?"

"Me, of course," The necklace said. "Did you think she was talking to the window?"

"It talks?" Ash said, his eyes bugging out.

"Yes, I talk. I talked as a human; why wouldn't I talk as a necklace? Granted," She added, "Most of the other people in that accursed store don't talk, so…"

"_Other _people?"

The little velvet bear sighed. "Maybe I'd better start at the beginning,"

(Flashback)

Several people milled about the busy town. There was lots of work to be done: their town wasn't very large but that didn't mean it ran itself. Open air markets were everywhere; people browsed the wares, making purchases and banging into people with their arms full of packages. Stores lined many streets but many others had houses, and in each house children and wives bustled about, doing housework.

Then the White Sheet appeared. Nobody knew what it was, and nobody knew what it was doing there. It covered the abandoned lot like a ghost of foreboding. But when it was finally revealed-

"Step right up, good people! Come get your heart's desire fulfilled! We can do anything! Be your desire love, money, fame, we can do it, believe it or not!"

People began disappearing, but everyone assumed they'd wished for things like a condo in a modern city or something and thought nothing of it. But one day a boy told his mother he'd wish he would stop growing and stay stuck at size eight for a while so she wouldn't have to keep buying him new clothes. He never returned. So that accursed tent became a place for the desperate, as well as a major tourist attraction, especially as the inns ran out of business due to lack of workers and closed down or became filthy places people avoided.

There was a man I was in love with, but he loved my empty-headed sister because she was so beautiful. When he proposed to her, I became enraged. I stormed out of my house, stomped into the tent, and demanded that pampered puss make me beautiful.

And, I guess, I am.

(End Flashback)

"Freaky," Ash said.

"Yeah, imagine if someone wished-" Misty's hand flew up to her mouth.

"Oh my gosh- Brock!"

They raced for the tent but Ash got there first, with Pikachu hot on his heels. He flung the curtain inside and rushed in but came to a sudden halt as he realized Brock wasn't there.

Staring at the enormous puss as though it might attack, Ash slowly drew out his Pokedex out of his pocket and pointed it at the creature.

"Sian- a psychic Pokémon- Meowths only evolve into a Sian when their evolution takes place under a blue moon. Sians have extremely powerful magic that can transform other Pokémon- or even humans,"

"Little late to say that, huh Pokedex?"

The Sian looked up from where she had been resting. "Hello. And what do you wish?"

"To have Brock back,"

The Sian's syrupy smile vanished and her eyes became thunderclouds. "Who's Brock?"

"He just came in a second ago,"

The giant cat sat in silence for a while. Then she said, "I cannot grant your wish. Let's see, you desire to be a Pokémon trainer…"

"Why not?"

"Because I never grant wishes that contradict a previous wish. You want to-"

"Brock didn't wish to be transformed!"

"Au contraire, he specifically told me he wished to be changed. You wish to be changed. Everyone who comes here wish to be changed.

"But not in that way!"

The Sian was getting annoyed. This irritating human wasn't falling under the spell the way others did. And somehow her trick had gotten out? Impossible!

Unless these were the 'other two'…

"You wish be the best Pokémon trainer in the world? You wish to be what people think of when they think of training Pokémon? Is that what you'd like to be?"

Ash turned white.

But Pikachu jumped up with his tail forming a thundershock. He took aim at this Siamese that was threatening his master and-

-stopped, in midair, just like that. The yellow Pokémon was reminded of the time he fought a Kadabra.

"Why do you react so?" The Sian said, her voice sounding miserable. "I only want to help you, and you treat me so badly! Now you must suffer for it," Magic swirled around the moonstone as she took aim at the electric Pokémon she had in her possession.

Ash jumped forward, pulling into a barrel roll as he wrapped himself protectively around Pikachu.

"Ash!" Misty cried, rushing through the flap.

Oh, great, _two _people know my secret, Sian thought. Not that they'll be people for long.

"Ash! We have to get out of here!" In blind rage, Misty leaped at the glowing moonstone and smacked her hand over it.

The Sian roared and tried to wrench her head away from Misty's hand. The tomboy tried to hold on as the enormous creature thrashed about under her.

Ash ran for the door and stopped. He stretched out his hand into the center of the room.

"Grab my hand, Misty!" Ash shouted. Misty removed one hand from the gemstone and Ash pulled her out of the tent. Then he half-dragged Misty through the streets as he ran in whatever direction it took to get away from that cursed place.

The two exhausted friends took a few more steps and collapsed next to an abandoned warehouse. Neither of them knew the way back to the inn, or the way out of the town.

After a minute the necklace asked, "So what are you going to do now? Leave town?"

Ash took a second to catch his breath and said "No, we have to go back… for Brock…"

"What _about_ Brock? You're friend could be anything in that store!"

Misty had been thinking. "Ash, remember the mirror the woman showed us? She was bringing it out of a back room. I got a glimpse of the room for a minute, and it looked midnight blue. And the room didn't close with a door; it closed with a velvet curtain. And she said she'd just gotten the mirror."

"What could Brock wish for that that cat could twist around to mean turning into a mirror?" Ash asked.

"I don't know. But pretty girls _do _like to look at themselves in a mirror," Misty shrugged.

"Maybe," The blue bear said. "But even so, how do you intend to turn him back?"

Ash bit his lip. "Could another psychic Pokémon undo the spell?"

"You'd need a very powerful psychic Pokémon to change Brock back. Fat chance you'll find one," The velvet bear sighed. "Most of the advanced Pokémon trainers were transformed or cleared out of town when those scheming partners arrived. And their Pokémon vanished with them. And the Sian even grants the wishes of Pokémon- you saw that woman's dress? That was a Bellossom who wished for a longer skirt."

"Isn't there _anything _we could do?" Ash half-pleaded.

The tiny bear looked thoughtful. "There is the Akku Amulet," She said. "But that's just a legend."

"In my experience, legends sometimes are truer than fact," Ash said. "Tell us about it."

"In a valley between two mountains, not too far from here, there is a little green hill separated by rivers into five layers. The fifth layer is said to have the Akku Amulet. But there is no way across the rivers except through toll bridges. And the toll people aren't fair at all. The price increases as you move in, and the first one asks no less than a hundred dollars per person."

Misty sighed. "Out of luck there, I guess."

"Face it." The charm sighed. "Your friend and I will remain as we are."

"Not unless we get together a lot of cash," Ash said.

"Yeah, right," Misty said. "Who could we find in the cursed town that has a lot of cash?"

Funny you should mention that.

A lone Pokémon walked up to the tent, reading the golden print with great interest.

"Hey Jessie, James! Come look at this!" The Meowth cried.

"What is it?" Jessie asked.

"Have your heart's desire come true?" Dollar symbols took over James' eyes.

"We could ask for a million dollars!" Meowth exclaimed.

"A billion!" James added.

"A bottomless sack of money!" Jessie shouted. "Come on, what are we waiting for?"

Oh, great, thought the Sian. Idiots who need to wear the first letter of their name on their shirts to remember what it is. No, wait- their names both started with J; she could tell that with her minimal mind reading skills. Maybe they didn't know their alphabet. And they wanted, what, money? Great. Maybe she could turn them all into coins. But that wouldn't be unlimited money. And besides, they wanted to _have _unlimited money, not _be _unlimited money. She always granted wishes to the letter. So that ruled out turning them into bottomless sacks of cash, and besides, the whole purpose of the exercise was to change them into objects and re-sell them, and you couldn't sell a bag of cash. Finally, exasperated and out of ideas, she blasted the Meowth with moonstone light, turning him into a bag of endless cash, mentally shoved the bag into the two human's hands, and mentally shoved them out the door, screaming after them, "No refunds!"

No refunds? Help! We didn't wish for this!

Jessie and James looked at the bag of gold that used to be Meowth. "I guess we got what we wished for," Jessie shrugged.

_I_ didn't! What about me?

"Yeah," James said, "Let's go and-"

A policeman walked in front of them. Earlier in the day these two hooligans and their Pokémon caused trouble over their lack of cash. "Where did you get that money?" He asked.

James dumbly pointed to the midnight blue tent. "The Pokémon in there gave it to us."

The policeman laughed. "Yeah, right. No one ever comes out of that place alive. Now who did you steal this money from?"

Ash could think of nothing to do except go back and buy the mirror that used to be Brock. So he and Misty followed the bear's directions and ended up at the same place the policeman was questioning Team Rocket.

"Hey, look. That's a _lot _of money," Ash said, pointing to the bottomless bag of dollars. "Should we fight them for it?"

"I don't know." The blue charm said.

"Where on earth did they get that money?" Misty wondered aloud.

"Maybe Meowth suddenly learned Pay Day? Where is Meowth, anyway?"

Misty's necklace jerked. "Would they want money?"

"Sure. Everyone does." Misty shrugged.

"But is it their heart's desire?"

Recognition dawned in Ash's eyes. He thought fast and stepped between the policeman and his enemies. "Excuse me sir, I think there's been a mistake."

"Mistake? Mistake about what?"

"About these two. They didn't steal the money. We… uh, gave it to them."

Gave it to us, my foot.

The policeman looked skeptical. "Where did you get it then?"

"I got it… uh…"

Misty walked up. "From Professor Oak. We, uh, helped him with some important research and he gave… us… this… money?"

"I thought Professor Oak gave out Pokémon as rewards."

I _am _a Pokémon!

"Well, he, uh, didn't have any on hand except ones we already had." Ash knew this was sounding ridiculous, but he couldn't think of anything else to say.

The policeman shrugged and walked away.

"Okay, _why _did you do that?" Jessie asked.

"Look," Ash said, "We were a party of four-" (Ash counted Pokémon as part of the party) "-and now we're a party of three. You were a party of three but now you're a party of two. May I assume we met similar mishaps?"

Yes!

"Obviously I'm good for nothing," The bear hanging around Misty's neck said.

"It talks?" James poked the necklace.

"Back off, buster," She clamped her velvet jaws over James' finger.

James screamed.

"Oh, come on! I don't even have _teeth _anymore! Wimp!" The bear shouted.

"Well, anyway," Misty said, "We found out about this amulet that reverses the effect of the Sian's power,"

"Sian?"

"The big cat-like creature. The only problem is you have to cross a lot of toll bridges to get to it,"

WOO-HOO!

"So?" Jessie said.

"So if you help us with your money we can go and get the amulet and bring Meowth back."

Yes! Yes! Do it! Do it!

Jessie and James looked at the bag of gold.

"Who said we want to turn him back?" James asked, raking his fingers through the coins.

WHAT!

The drawstring mouth of the bag pulled itself into a tightly shut knot. James screamed again.

That'll teach you!

"Want me to tell the officer there's been a misunderstanding?" Ash asked.

The two adults shook their heads.

"Then let's go already."


	2. Over the River and Through the Woods

**Part two: Over the river and through the woods**

Ash, Misty, Jessie, and James are on a journey to find the legendary Akku Amulet, so they can reverse a spell a Sian placed on Brock and Meowth.

"How much to cross this bridge?" James asked.

The toll man sized the group up. "You and your wife can go across for a hundred dollars each, and your children half price."

Everyone balked. Jessie and James pointed at each other and yelled that they weren't married to each other, Ash pointed at them both and said they weren't their children, and Misty said at the top of her lungs that if anyone there _was _related, it was very, very distantly.

HAHAHA! This is just too funny!

"Alright! All right! You don't have to bite my head off!"

James dug through Team Rocket's new bottomless bag of money and drew out three hundred dollar bills.

The man's eyes grew wide, then hastily shrunk as he resumed business. "You misheard me. I said two hundred dollars each,"

That's nuts!

"That's robbery!" Jessie screamed, but Ash reached forward and shoveled out the balance.

"And walking Pokémon-"

All four of them charged across the bridge before the man could stop them.

"Maybe in the future you should keep your money hidden," The blue bear around Misty's neck said.

Your money? I'm not "your money", I'm a Meowth!

"You're probably right," Ash said, looking over his shoulder. "This town doesn't look very friendly,"

"Without trade from other places," The bear necklace Misty now sported said, "They probably live a hard life of dog-eat-dog,"

"That toll man probably scares people away," Misty added.

"I would think the price would," said James. "Two hundred dollars _each!_"

"You have unlimited money now, remember?" said Ash.

No you don't! You just have me!

"Well if we didn't-"

"Why bother talking about what might have happened?" The aqua bear asked. "You _do _have unlimited money, so why-"

A man walking next to them suddenly snatched the sack out of Team Rocket's hands and ran away.

AH! HELP! Someone stop him! He's stealing… well, me…

"Hey!" Ash shouted, "Somebody stop him!" He began to chase the crook through the streets.

Another man reached out and grabbed Ash by the arm. "Oh, stop it already, it's no business of yours how much money he has,"

"But it's _our _money!"

"Your fault for telling someone and not holding on to it better!"

I take it back- I am your money! Help! Help me!

Pikachu ran between the man's legs without being detected. Scampering through the streets, he hunted down the thief and surprised him with a Thunder Shock. Snatching the fallen bag, he started to race back to his master, but was blocked by another man- one with a gun.

"Hold still, you little rodent, and maybe you won't get hurt!" The first man said. He yanked the bag out of Pikachu's hands, keeping his gun trained on the electric Pokémon. "Where'd you find this bag, Richard?"

"This family was carrying it. They claimed it was unlimited money," said the first guy who must have been Richard.

"Unlimited money? That's ridiculous!" He turned Meowth upside down and shook him. Dollar bill after dollar bill poured out in a steady stream. Both crooks were shocked, and not by Pikachu.

"Let's take the money and the Pikachu. We could clear out of hear and take both of them to the boss."

"Yeah, Giovanni will be happy to find out we aren't dead, and be even happier with this money."

Augh! The irony!

Pikachu, who was feeling really ignored, used Thunder Wave to knock them both over, snatching up Meowth as he fell. Then he created a Light Screen that blocked the alley off and ran for his life. He could hear bullets hitting the light screen and hoped it would hold.

* * *

"How could we be so stupid?" James lamented.

"Considering who you are, it shouldn't be so hard," Misty said.

"Hey, look!" Ash shouted. "It's Pikachu!"

The yellow mouse Pokémon dropped the sack of money at Ash's feet.

"That's a relief," Ash said, scooping the bag off the ground.

Whew! I thought I was a goner!

"Hey!" Shouted Jessie. "It's our money!"

"_I _thought we were working as a team!" Misty shouted back.

"We made the wish!" James pointed out.

"I was saving the money before someone could grab it!" Ash yelled.

"Why don't you just shout out, 'we're millionaires with no guns' while you're at it!" Screamed the aqua bear. "Honestly! Do you want to be stuck here forever?"

Another man started heading for them.

Help!

"How about we run?" Ash asked.

"That might be a good idea," Jessie said slowly.

They bolted for the next toll bridge.

* * *

Shortly after paying another ridiculous fare (five hundred dollars per person) the team crossed another unusually long bridge.

"How come you can talk and move and everything but everyone else in that store can't?" Ash asked the tiny bear.

"I can talk because I have a mouth,"

"So do those stuffed birds," Misty pointed out. "What make you so special?"

"Truth be told, almost everyone there can move in some way, although some people can do little more than fall off the shelf. And yes, some people talk. Back in the early days, whenever someone walked into the shop we would raise a ruckus. Mr. Alf's Shaving Cream would spray everywhere, anything with a mouth would scream, things would clack together. But the person always ran away and said the shop was haunted or that they were growing crazy or something. Plus Laurel- the girl who owns the shop- would find some way to punish us. Or she'd ask Sian to do it. Her favorite way was to torture us by singing a song, like: 'Hush little baby, don't say a word, mamma's gonna buy you a mocking bird, and if that mocking bird won't sing, mamma's gonna buy you a diamond ring, and if that diamond ring turns brass, mamma's gonna buy a looking glass, and if that looking glass gets broke-"

"The last thing I need to hear about right now is looking glasses breaking," Misty said.

"Oops. Well, to make a long story short, Laurel sang us off-key songs to torment us. So everyone stopped. Except I never really gave up on the idea. I just thought I would wait until I was already bought and paid for,"

"I wonder what Brock's thinking right now," Misty wondered out loud.

"Most of us spend half the time mentally kicking ourselves and the other half thinking about people we knew or the slim possibility someone might find out about us and rescue us. But often, the person we most want to walk through the door and purchase us is the most unlikely to do such a thing. Usually, if she can manage it, Sian transforms people into something their best friends would never want to buy. My sister hates bears and her husband doesn't wear jewelry,"

"I'd hate to be one of you," Misty said.

"Keep your skepticism. It can be really helpful," The aqua bear encouraged.

"Thanks, I will,"

* * *

Laurel yawned. "I think I'll take a short nap. Behave yourselves," She added, looking up at the shelves.

As soon as she left one of the partridges turned towards Brock. "Newcomer?" He asked.

_How am I supposed to answer you?_

"Well, of course you can't answer my question. But I was just wondering… wondering about who you were and where you came from. I mean, well, of course you can't answer me… Oh what am I doing, talking to a mirror? I don't even know if you're listening!"

_I'm listening. Please keep talking._

"That girl who was in the shop, she bought Belle- the necklace. And if anyone never gives up, it's Belle. Maybe she can convince the girl…" He shook his head. "No, she'll probably just make the girl think she's mad. What am I talking about?"

_Her name is Misty. Not, 'the girl'. And it'll take more than a talking necklace to make her think she's mad._

_

* * *

_

"The end of the bridge is coming up," Ash said. "Tell Team Rocket to catch up,"

"We could buy hundreds of Pokémon…"

"Our own beach resort…"

Maybe Meowzie will like me then- no, what am I talking about? _I'm _the money!

"Get your heads out of the clouds!" The bear screamed. "I thought you were going to change your Pokémon back!"

Jessie and James looked up. "We're still thinking,"

Still thinking!

The sack in their hands suddenly grew extra heavy.

"Better think fast. Only three more bridges stand between us and the Akku Amulet,"

Two bridges passed without trouble. Then came the fifth and final bridge.

At first glance, no one was there.

Ash experimentally kicked a rock over the edge of the cliff. If the rock ever hit ground, it was too far away to hear.

"We get to cross for free!" James shouted. "Yippee!"

"Why worry about the cost? You have unlimited money," Misty pointed out.

All of a sudden one of the bridge posts moved. "Who said you could cross for free?"

Everyone screamed.

The toll man had dark skin and clothing that matched his skin color. He was bald and his eyes were black and beady. Heavy sacks hung from his belt.

I have a feeling of impending doom…

"Now let's see. What do I want?" He gave them all piercing stares. "What do you have? I'm always fair. I never take what you don't have." He seemed to decide before they could answer. "You!" He exclaimed, pointing to Ash. "Your fare is three Pokémon of your choice."

"But-"

"Don't argue, it makes your skin lighter." He turned to Misty. "Fare for you is one bear-shaped necklace, a bargain to be sure,"

"But I-"

"What did I just tell your friend?" He turned to Team Rocket. "You get the bargain of your life. I'm running out of bags to store my stuff in. I'll take that one." He pointed to the sack of unlimited money.

"Don't do it!" Screamed the blue necklace. "What would be the point, then?"

"I can't give my Pokémon away!" Ash shouted.

"How'd we get back without this?" Jessie cried, clutching the money to her chest.

No! Don't give me away!

The toll man frowned. "Is that your final answer?" he said, sounding like a game show host.

"I'm afraid it is," Ash said sadly.

"Maybe we'll be able to find a powerful psychic Pokémon somewhere," Misty said doubtfully.

The dark man laughed. "Maybe, kid. Here," he handed Ash a pink slip of paper.

"Um, what's this?" Ash asked.

"You're one-way ticket to nowhere!"

The toll man seized Ash's wrists and shoved him over the cliff.

"Ash!" Misty half-shrieked.

"Who's next?"

"PikaCHU! (No one!)" Pikachu cried, launching Thunder-Shock.

"Horsea! Go!" Cried Misty, launching her Pokéball into the air.

"Ekans!" Jessie shouted.

"Koffing!" James added, as the two Pokéballs flew into the fray.

"Keep them busy!" Misty shouted, throwing another Pokéball into the air. "Starmie! Go get Ash!"

As the jewel-like star flew down the cliff, Misty prayed Ash hadn't hit the ground yet.

"Ekans! Acid!" Jessie commanded.

"You don't know what you're dealing with!" The toll man shouted, jumping nimbly aside and picking up a tree branch.

"Koffing!" James shouted, but before he could say anything the dark extorter whacked him hard on the head, knocking the Team Rocket member unconscious.

Koffing issued his own command, along with a lot of smoke.

It hardly seemed to affect their attacker, who ducked under the smoke and swiped at Pikachu.

"Horsea!" Misty shouted. "Use Sludge!"

"Bite, Ekans!" Jessie added.

The ink attack hit Ekans and in its confusion the snake bit Horsea instead of the man, who dodged both and knocked Jessie's legs out from under her.

"Pika!" Pikachu cried delightedly.

Ash rose over the edge of the cliff, clinging to Starmie. Noticing the battle, he launched all his Pokémon in the midst of it. "Charmander! Bulbasaur! Squirtle! Butterfree! Pidgeoto!"

All five Pokémon launched themselves at the man. He was lost in a puff of smoke. Confused Pokémon cried out. When it cleared, Bulbasaur and Pidgeoto were knocked out and Charmander was lying on the ground, drenched by one of Squirtle's miss-fires.

"Oh, great!" Misty shouted.

"Ready to accept defeat?" The dark man asked, smiling wickedly.

"Not while we still have Pokémon! Starmie, attack! Goldeen, go!" Misty threw a ball upwards while Starmie started firing blasts of water.

Ash recalled Bulbasaur, Pidgeoto, and Charmander. Then he commanded his forces.

The toll man moved fast but too many Pokémon were attacking at once, and now they were more organized. Gradually he edged closer and closer to the edge of the cliff, trying to dodge the blows.

"Give up yet?" Ash yelled.

"Never!"

With that, Starmie and Squirtle fired extra hard.

The man tumbled over the cliff.

"Well, that's that," the bear necklace said. "Now we find out if the Akku Amulet really exists."


	3. The Akku Amulet

**Part three: The Akku Amulet**

Ash and Misty left Team Rocket lying on the grass and crossed the final bridge. A short stone pillar stood in the center of a clearing. Two stone horns rose up from the center of the pillar, holding up a thin black thread attached to a thin gold disk. In the center of the disk was a glowing ruby, carved into a perfect sphere.

Ash reached for it. "Looks like it isn't a legend," he said, running his finger along the smooth surface.

"It may exist, but that doesn't mean it's magic," the blue bear said.

"Hmm, maybe we should test it," Ash aimed the medallion at the protesting necklace.

"No, wait! Take me off first," The piece of jewelry shouted. "The Amulet might hit Misty, and that might do something awful,"

"Okay. Take off the necklace, Misty," Ash commanded.

But all of a sudden Misty got a moody look. She stared at the necklace.

"Hey, Misty? Earth to Misty!" Ash shouted, but Misty paid no attention.

"Must… keep… necklace…" She murmured in hypnotic tones.

Suddenly the necklace unlatched itself and fell to the ground. "Shoot me now!"

"I don't know how!"

"Just hold it in both hands and point it at me!"

A corkscrew beam of light swirled out of the Akku Amulet, striking the bear where she lay. The bear seemed to grow while the chain shrunk. As she grew her features changed. When she was her normal size, she was a pretty brunette with shoulder-length hair.

Misty's expression changed. "We did it!" She shouted. Then, frowning, she asked, "Um, what's your name?"

"Belle. Sorry I forgot to tell you.

"Now let's go save Brock!" Ash exclaimed.

* * *

By the time they got back, Team Rocket had woken up.

"Oh, you got it," James said. "Do we have to change Meowth back now?"

Yes!

"We still have to cross the toll bridges," Belle pointed out.

Oh, drat.

"Okay," Jessie said. "We can think about it on the way,"

THINK about it? _Think _about it! _THINK _about it!

* * *

The bell on the door tinkled as a tall woman with soft gray hair walked in.

Laurel looked up. "Mom!" She cried. "I didn't know you were coming!"

"I only just decided myself. Fifty, I feel, is too old for anyone. I need a magic mirror. Do you have one in stock?"

_Don't look at me! I'm not magic!_

"Not exactly. But we do have a regular mirror for only five dollars."

_Help!_

"I'll take it."

_No! Don't! You can't! Help me! HELP ME!_

_

* * *

_

"What do you think happened to me?" Misty asked. "I mean, I wouldn't have hesitated to change you back,"

"Maybe an extra-security spell Sian set up," Belle guessed. "Just in case,"

"Come on, here's the last toll bridge!" Ash shouted. "Jessie! James! Are you going to cross or not?"

Team Rocket had spent most of the trip lingering in thought. It was driving them all nuts.

"Fine," James sighed.

"Maybe the Sian's just-in-case spell won't be necessary," Ash joked.

* * *

As soon as they had crossed the last bridge the sack of money tumbled out of Jessie and James' hands all by itself.

I'm not going a step further! Turn me back! PLEASE!

"Should I turn Meowth back?" Ash asked.

Yes!

"No!" They both cried in unison.

"Okay, then," Ash pointed the amulet at Meowth.

Shoot! Shoot!

"NO!" They cried again.

But the corkscrew light wound its way to the sack. Unlike the necklace, the bag seemed to waver, like a reflection in water. When the picture became clear again, it was Meowth.

"No, no, no!" He mocked. "How would you like it if _you _were bags of cash you were unable to spend? Maybe I'll wish for that from the Sian,"

"Better not!" Belle said. "If you'd been thinking, you would have dumped as much money as you could carry on the ground and _then _you would have changed Meowth back!"

The re-united team blinked. No one had thought of that.

"Come on!" Misty shouted. "Let's go!"

* * *

Laurel wasn't in the shop when they reached it. So the three partners spread out, looking for the medium, simply framed mirror.

"Belle?" One of the partridges cried in disbelief.

"Shut up!" Hissed the other one.

"Oh yeah," Misty said, starting to aim the medallion.

"Stop! We should get them out of here first. Otherwise this place would burst," Belle said.

"Good idea," Ash said. He and Misty grabbed some objects and started moving them outside.

"What are you talking about? What are you doing here?" The first partridge continued to squawk.

"We found the Akku Amulet, to make a long story short," Belle replied.

"It exists?"

"Sure. I'm here, aren't I?"

Soon half the objects were already outdoors and the mirror was no where to be found.

"What are you doing?"

Ash whirled around before he could pick up the Christmas ornament. Laurel was in the doorway.

"Thief!" She shouted, losing the syrupy tones and sounding like a 16-year-old, which she was. "Wait 'til I tell Sian. She'll make you sorry you ever were-" Suddenly she stopped, her eyes wide. Then she screamed like a banshee, "AAAAAA! SIA-A-A-A-N! IT'S A GHOOOOOOOOOOST COME BACK TO HAUNT ME!"

"What?" Belle asked, and then clamped her hand over her mouth.

Misty ran over and held out the amulet. "Stop screaming or I'll transform your dress back into a Bellossom while you're wearing it!"

Laurel stopped screaming and backed against a wall, the way you would if someone was holding a gun to your head. "What would happen then?"

Ash and Misty looked at Belle.

Belle shrugged. "It's hard to tell. However, I've heard a similar story you're probably familiar with…"

Laurel gulped.

"Once there was this woman who wasn't interested in training Pokémon, but she had a Growlithe just for protection. One day, this little puppy Pokémon started to evolve into an Arcanine, but his owner wasn't paying attention and didn't notice, and when the light had formed into the shape of an Arcanine, its foot and the woman's foot were overlapping each other…" She shrugged. "Well! I'm sure you know what happened after that!"

"Only one way to find out!" Misty cried optimistically.

"NO! DON'T!" Laurel screamed.

"Okay," Ash said, "Where's Brock?"

"Who?"

"The mirror!"

Laurel calmed down noticeably. "I sold it,"

"SOLD it?" Misty cried.

"To who?" Ash pressed.

"To my mom, Venerra."

"Where is she?"

"In room 208. And no, I don't have the key."

Misty lowered the Akku Amulet. "We'll go there anyway," she said.

"Yeah," Ash said. "Maybe with luck-"

"SIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIAN! HELP! TWO FREAKY PEOPLE WITH THE _AKKU AMULET!_"

Misty re-aimed the medallion but it was too late. Sian stormed in, and she was mad. In desperation, Misty fired at the Persian-like Pokémon. There was a large burst of light, and when it vanished, Sian was lying on the floor.

"Did I kill her?" Misty half-cried.

Every object that had a mouth cheered.

"It's not a good thing!" Misty yelled.

"You didn't kill her," Belle said. "Her moonstone's still glowing,"

"Then let's go find Room 208. Belle, stay here and move more objects outside," Ash ordered.

"Okay, mister bossy-pants," said Belle.

* * *

The rooms on this floor had windows in the rooms that looked out onto the hall. Ash peeked behind the curtain of Room 208.

A woman with the same soft gray hair as Laurel was pacing back and forth, her black dress swishing with each step. She limped a little, favoring her right leg.

The mirror was resting on a side table.

Laurel's mother stopped pacing and looked at the mirror. She muttered to herself, "Well, I'd better see if it is magic before I enchant it,"

_I'm not magic!_

Taking a deep breath, she told Brock the mirror, "Show me a boy and a girl, preferably teenagers but I'll take anyone at least ten years old, with black or red hair- those are good colors for magic- and preferably people who take daily risks-" she smirked- "People who won't be missed if they were to suddenly _disappear_."

_Hey, that sounds like Ash and Misty._

Ash pulled away from the window, just in case the woman looked his way.

"Hey, Ash!" Misty whispered, "The door's unlocked."

The young Pokémon trainer turned the knob.

"Don't you think we should knock?" Misty asked.

But Ash stormed into the room holding out the amulet.

_Ash? Ash!_

The woman whirled around and found herself face-to-face with the Akku Amulet. Looking past it, she smiled. "Maybe that mirror is magic."

_I'm NOT magic!_

"And maybe that mirror's a human being!"

_Yes! Save me!_

Ash took aim but an Arcanine crouching in the shadows pounced on him. He lost his grip on the medallion.

_No!_

Misty stormed into the room and picked the Akku Amulet up.

_Quick! Turn me back!_

She aimed and fired.

The flimsy corner table cracked under the sudden weight.

"Are you OK?" Misty asked Brock, holding out her hand.

"Now I am," Brock answered, getting up. They stood still for a few seconds before they realized they were still holding hands. Each hastily shoved their hands into a pocket.

Ash sat up as he realized the Arcanine wasn't attacking.

"Bite his head off!" Screamed Laurel's mother.

The Arcanine paid no attention and looked at Ash pleadingly.

"You don't like her either, do you?" Ash asked.

The Fire Pokémon nodded.

Then Ash noticed that the Arcanine had a piece of his right hind foot cut off. It had long since scabbed over, but it looked like it still hurt.

Did that mean Venerra and her Arcanine were the ones in Belle's story?

"Stop! Thieves!" Shouted the woman, bringing Ash's thoughts back to reality. "You're stealing my Pokémon and my mirror!"

"I'm not your mirror!" Brock said.

"Well, I can see that. But I paid good money for you!"

The threesome exchanged puzzled glances. "You want me to turn back into a mirror?" Brock asked.

"No, I'm saying that, mirror or boy, you're still mine," She grabbed Brock's arm.

Ash and Misty both moved forward but the Arcanine got there first, gripping his former trainer's flesh.

She screamed.

Ash, Misty, and Brock took this as their cue to leave.

* * *

Outside they found Belle with all the trinkets moved outside.

"Give me the Amulet," she said.

Holding it in two hands, the young woman concentrated hard.

* * *

That was just the beginning. Just days later it was a bustling town again. You could hardly recognize it.

"Do you wish we'd never come here?" Misty mused one day.

"Not a chance," Ash said.

"It was worth it all," Brock added.

But the real surprise had come later that day. As the three friends were talking with Belle, a young man approached them.

"Belle," he said, "You're back,"

Belle looked up. "How do you like your new wife?" She asked with a dash of bitterness.

"I never married her. She declined,"

"Why?"

"Because she said she couldn't love me like you could,"

Belle's eyes grew bright.

* * *

"I suppose it is asking a lot to ask you to stay for the wedding," Belle said the next day, as she petted her new Arcanine. "Still, I hate to see you go,"

"We'll miss it too," Ash said, "But we're wanderers. I don't think I'm ready to settle down-"

"Especially if there's no Pokémon gym," Misty laughed.

"She's probably right. Goodbye, Belle,"

"Goodbye," she said. "Come back anytime!"

The End


End file.
